Sonoma large-animal rescue effort bails out Buzzy

An old horse in a tough spot is the first beneficiary of a Glen Ellen woman’s mission to train and equip firefighters to assist large animals in crisis.

Days ago, Glen Ellen firefighters specially trained for large-animal rescue answered a call from a ranch on Enterprise Road, off Sonoma Mountain Road.

Accompanying them was Julie Atwood, founder of HALTER, Horse and Livestock Team Emergency Response, the program she founded to provide training and equipment for aiding animals imperiled by fires, floods, highway accidents or other emergencies.

Atwood said an old horse named Buzzy had gone down on his side on uneven ground within a paddock and could not get back up onto his legs. Atwood was there to assist as firefighters used rescue equipment purchased by HALTER to move the horse and roll him into his chest.

The firefighters bandaged a small wound and placed the horse on a bedding of straw. “We left him eating and drinking, and with a warm blanket on,” Atwood said.

The owners of the horse arranged for a visit by a veterinarian.

The emergency response Friday evening was the first by firefighters who received training paid for by scholarships from HALTER. The animals killed, injured or dispersed by the Valley fire intensified Atwood’s resolve to help prepare Sonoma County firefighters and other first responders for such emergencies.

So far, firefighters with the Glen Ellen, Sonoma Valley, Windsor and Mayacama fire companies have taken advantage of the training made available by scholarships from HALTER.

For more information on the program, visit www.halterfund.org.